There has been a need for some time for a system which is simple and foolproof that will automatically flake a sail, first one way and then the other as it is lowered down its track. Such flaking facilitates furling of the sail and particularly on cruising sailboats, which may be short-handed, the automatic flaking and consequent ease of furling and reefing is a decided advantage. As far as I am aware no satisfactory, simple solution has been developed though one approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No 4,688,506.